It is not uncommon for some keen cycling enthusiasts to spend more money on their bike than they do on their car. Regular cleaning of your bike is important if you want to keep it in the best possible condition and protect your investment. Cleaning ensures that your gears, brakes and other moving components are smooth and always fully operational.
When to clean a bike?
People often ask, what should be the frequency of cleaning a bike. It completely depends on your riding habits and location. If you drive through dusty or muddy conditions or if you need to keep your bike outside, you may need to clean the bike often. Normally, cleaning the bike at least once a month is always recommended.
What does one require?
- A large bucket filled with hot water.
- A large sponge/soft bristle brush for frame and forks.
- A stiff bristled brush for rims and tyres.
- An old paintbrush.
- A chain cleaning device (available at all good bike shops) not totally necessary but does such a good job you'd be a fool not to use one.
- Some mild detergent.
- Some biodegradable degreaser.
How to do it?
- Using a soft brush, hot water and mild detergent, clean the frame, forks handlebars etc, before tackling the grimy end.
- Clean your tyres and wheels. Use a stiff bristled brush to clean your tyres and rims, pay attention to the braking surfaces, which accumulate dark grey braking sludge of the most persistent variety. Keeping your tyres and rims clean will mean better braking performance and cleaner hands when the inevitable puncture occurs.
- Nothing cleans a chain like a dedicated chain bath. There are a number of cleaners available but they all work on the same principle. Soak the chain in the solvent. After a minute or two, take the chain out of the solvent and scrub with a course brush. Then wipe down and your chain should shine. While you're cleaning the chain, get an old paintbrush, wet it and dunk it in degreaser and use it to degrease your sprockets, jockey wheels (the little wheels on your rear derailleur) and your chainrings, plus 'those hard to reach areas' around the gear mechanisms, brakes etc.
- After cleaning and rinsing the rest of the bike, re-lube the jockey wheels. They really only need the very lightest touch of lube, as they'll pick up enough from the chain through use. Remember these little wheels attract a lot of dirt, and with lube being sticky, it doesn't pay to make matters worse by overdoing it. Wipe the excess away with a rag. They should look dry.
- Dry the whole lot off with an old towel or rag and sparingly lube all moving parts, taking extra care not to get any lube on the braking surfaces of your rims or brake discs.
If you love your bike, show it off by taking a soft duster and some nice polish and giving the paintwork a buffing. Apart from making the bike look shiny, it also helps make it harder for dirt to stick to the frame the next time you're out.
